I'm well aware this is a HUGE debate among artists everywhere, more so now considering how influential manga and anime have been since the 80s and 90s. I'm told many art institutions in the US wholly rejects any work done completely in manga/anime styles, although in Malaysia it's not the case -- even so, lots of lecturers will encourage their students to break away from this. Not to mention the heated debates between artists about whether or not a piece of art with HUGE elements of manga and anime is even art at all.

What do you think? Is manga style a legitimate art style? Why do you think so? If you don't agree, why not? What is a legitimate art style to you?

I could sort of see why some lecturers and institutions reject the usage of "anime/manga" style because they claimed that "it's quite easy to accomplished" or "it been done to death"; and I can agreed with that assessment to a point. Especially among the newly beginnings artists who are getting into the artistic world, they would fall back onto generic "anime/manga" style to cut corners rather than formulate their style. That could lead to the stigma to assumed that such a style is "too easy" or "the amateur way of getting into it".

"I have made many enemies in my lifetime, many different kind of enemies; however, you know what all of them have in common?"

To some extent, it is a style since it's a certain way you draw something. But professionally, it's encouraged for people to not imitate it if they aren't primarily going into the manga industry and are in a Western/alternative market. It'd be classified as such in countries where comics aren't nearly as popular and manga is more popular.

For people who aren't planning to be artists at a professional level/degree type of level (as in beyond online clients with corresponding media platforms), it's definitely a style of some sort. Just as the Adventure Time super simple style is a style (and often very imitated one).

A lot of artists tend to start trying to imitate it fully but eventually break away from that and develop their own style, like semi-realism or a cartoon style of their own.

The industry is already hard enough to find occupations from even if your style is realistic/non anime. Unique styles are emphasized and homogeny above all else seems to be rather discouraged. Unique styles are frankly more prrofitable than an anime styled one (though ones incorporating elements of it into cartoons seem also acceptable). If they emphasize that such a style isn't acceptable or has a higher likelihood to not receive as much clients, it's because the manga/anime style is hugely homogenized and rather difficult to get a unique style from it. Manga artists have also been leaning away from the once-popular anime style of big eyes and sparkles and crazy hair styles (YUGI) and seem leaning more towards at least a kind of semi realism sort of style and less button noses.

It is a style, but industry wise, I understand why it isn't and shouldn't be considered that way. Half of deviantart users draw anime style. And oftentimes look the exact same.

(12-04-2015, 06:34 PM)LoopyPanda Wrote: To some extent, it is a style since it's a certain way you draw something. But professionally, it's encouraged for people to not imitate it if they aren't primarily going into the manga industry and are in a Western/alternative market. It'd be classified as such in countries where comics aren't nearly as popular and manga is more popular.

For people who aren't planning to be artists at a professional level/degree type of level (as in beyond online clients with corresponding media platforms), it's definitely a style of some sort. Just as the Adventure Time super simple style is a style (and often very imitated one).

A lot of artists tend to start trying to imitate it fully but eventually break away from that and develop their own style, like semi-realism or a cartoon style of their own.

The industry is already hard enough to find occupations from even if your style is realistic/non anime. Unique styles are emphasized and homogeny above all else seems to be rather discouraged. Unique styles are frankly more prrofitable than an anime styled one (though ones incorporating elements of it into cartoons seem also acceptable). If they emphasize that such a style isn't acceptable or has a higher likelihood to not receive as much clients, it's because the manga/anime style is hugely homogenized and rather difficult to get a unique style from it. Manga artists have also been leaning away from the once-popular anime style of big eyes and sparkles and crazy hair styles (YUGI) and seem leaning more towards at least a kind of semi realism sort of style and less button noses.

It is a style, but industry wise, I understand why it isn't and shouldn't be considered that way. Half of deviantart users draw anime style. And oftentimes look the exact same.

Yeah. I think the anime-style waves has become steadily decrease and the more semi-realism is becoming more and more complex in the Eastern Animation. While Western Animation are preferring the more simple styles) in the case of Adventure Time, Steven Universe, etc) since it's more easier to maintain that a highly detailed project. Though, ultimately it depends on the production company, timing and the costs since those things aren't free.

"I have made many enemies in my lifetime, many different kind of enemies; however, you know what all of them have in common?"

Interesting, maybe this is just a regional thing but a lot of graphic design majors in my college have a very anime-ish style and an older student who's already been in the business for 15 years had said that it as a trendy thing in that business right now. That could just be in New York or the tri state area though. Not that I'm personally an expert on the topic, I'm a game design major, might end up switching to animation since I'm better at it and it's probably what I'd do in a game development setting anyway.

"de stijl", "hard edge painting", "minimalism", "op", "suprematism", all those are styles of art.
And are far more "easy to accomplished" than animanga.
I don't see any rational reason why animanga should not be considered as style of art.

I haven't seen pixel art outside of game development, EXCEPT for an episode in which a pixel animator had a hand in a Gravity Falls episode for a pixel Fighter and Soos & The Real Girl (aka Giffany), so it could be a unique form of animation. Very few instances have I seen pixel art in animation (at least what I've seen) but it has worked. So it could be a good way to land more audience with its charm, but cost is a good factor of doing episodes entirely in pixel art. Though these definitely are inspired from anime. One being a throwback to Zelda.

Pixel Animation in Gravity Falls

(The animator for this one has done the Dinoboys series you could find online)

Skip to 1:40.

So perhaps here in the US it may be more accepted than in other countries.

There are a handful of shows who have a grotesque art style but were still aired (see: Goat Banana Pig, Cricket, Problem Solverz, Secret Mountain Fort Awesome). Again these are western cartoons.

Pixel Animation requires lots of hardwork. It's certainly no easy task -- although I think other countries except it too. At least, in terms of Japanese games such as Pokemon (before moving away to 3D in their latest games) and Digimon. Project x Zone series is literally filled with Pixel Art :p

@James

Interesting. Manga/Animes did become a niche culture that it's better to appeal to someone that people are often familiar with. Is animation, or at least, how it looks important to the games -- anime-style or realistic? Unfortunately, some companies don't really understand, such as Mighty No. 9 trailer xD

"I have made many enemies in my lifetime, many different kind of enemies; however, you know what all of them have in common?"